US senators’ legislation aims for increased military assistance for Black Sea countries including Georgia
The legislation called on the administration to increase military assistance towards Black Sea countries, particularly Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia. Photo: Reuters
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A new piece of bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the Chair of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation and Senator Mitt Romney, on Wednesday directed the Biden administration to develop a strategy towards the Black Sea region, which it said had “increasingly become a critical inflection point for European and global security amid Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine”.
The legislation called on the administration to increase military assistance towards Black Sea countries, particularly Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia.
Putin has already demonstrated the high strategic value he places upon the Black Sea region by invading Georgia in 2008, followed by his annexation of Crimea in 2014 and further invasion of Ukraine this year. Control over access to the Black Sea is fundamental to his delusional dream of building a Russian empire and the United States cannot allow that to happen”, Shaheen said.
She underlined the legislative initiative was urging the administration to make the US policy in the Black Sea region a “priority” by developing an interagency report followed by a strategy for enhancing economic ties, strengthening democratic institutions and bolstering military assistance and coordination between the United States, NATO and Black Sea partners.
In his turn, Senator Romney noted the Black Sea had become “increasingly critical” as Putin continued to wage his unprovoked war in Ukraine, saying it had become clear that the US must have “both a strategy and presence” in the region.
The United States Department of State has $88 million in support for Georgia included in the draft budget for 2023, published on Monday.
Georgia’s “greatest victory” will be “its success in building a prosperous, secure, vibrant democracy”, United States Ambassador Kelly Degnan said on Sunday at a Tbilisi concert marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has said that the US remains 'unwavering' about Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ambassador Degnan noted the US is willing to negotiate with Russia in order to prevent conflict but will not 'trade away' the sovereignty of any European countries, including that of Georgia.
Political leaders in the United States, including President Biden, have made it clear that Georgia is an important partner for the country, US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan told Georgian press on Thursday.
Georgian Ambassador to the United States David Zalkaliani on Thursday hailed the legislation introduced by two US senators for increased military assistance for Black Sea countries including Georgia by saying the move marked “the first time” the Senate had asked a US administration to develop a strategy for the region.
The approval of the United States National Defence Authorisation Act, which includes provisions in support of Georgia, by the House of Representatives “clearly reflects” the “most important role” of the country in the foreign and security political agenda of the US and is adapted to “challenges that we are facing today", Nikoloz Khatiashvili, a foreign policy researcher of the Geocase analytical centre, said on Friday.